This collection is presumed to have belonged to Arnolda Lovise (Hansen) Almblad. Almblad was a Norwegian national who first came to Northern China and Inner Mongolia in 1916 as a missionary with the Norwegian organization, Tsjilimissionen [The Zhili Mission]. During this time she met, and later married, Anton Felix Almblad. Anton Felix Almblad was a Swedish-speaking Finnish national who worked as a sub-agent for the British & Foreign Bible Society in the Inner-Mongolian city of Kalgan (known today in Chinese as Zhangjiakou) from 1913 until his death in 1945. Following the death of her husband, Arnolda spent time in China, Norway, Taiwan, and the United States. Arolda died in early 1970. The collection includes photographs of Anton Felix Almblad, Arnolda Lovise (Hansen) Almblad, Anna Lundberg, Ultji Baijar, Joel Eriksson, Daste Tjub, Stuart Gunzel, and Otto Christensen.

The Swedish Mongolian Mission was founded in Sweden in 1897, and in 1898 began sending missionaries throughout Northern China and Mongolia. It was not until 1910 that the Swedish Mongolian Mission missionary presence in Inner Mongolia became permanent and lasting. Hallong Osso was the first permanent mission station, it lasted from 1908 to 1927. Later, several additional ones were added: Urga (1919-1924), Golchaggan (1922-1943), Dojen (1924-1942) and Hattin Sum (1927-1944). Functions of stations included medical services, Christian schools, and orphanages.

In 1924, the Mongolian People’s Republic was founded. During this governance transition, the Swedish missionaries were driven out of the Urga mission station. From 1924-1944 the other mission stations located in Inner Mongolia remained active. In 1944 the missionaries were forced to leave by the occupying Japanese army.